FITNESS & HEALTH

Twelve area athletes will be hitting the pool, mounting bikes and sprinting to the finish line of a triathlon June 12.

To get them ready for the fast-approaching challenge, this group of hearty warriors are relying on the expertise of Fit-N-Wise trainer and certified triathlon coach Mike Bowers and his team of coaches.

The dozen athletes started training with Bowers last week.

“We have a great group of people,” Bowers said. “There’s a whole wide array of talent.”

The group ranges in age from 15 to 50. The class was limited to 12 people.

“We didn’t want it to get too big where they couldn’t get individual attention,” Bowers said.

Some are former athletes, and others are just trying to get in shape. In the past, Bowers said the five-week course has been for people getting off the couch.

“It’s not for elite athletes,” he said. “We cover basic fundamentals and try to get them ready for the triathlon.

“Five weeks can make a big difference in finishing or not, or finishing with a smile on their face.”

The athletes train with Bowers twice per week for an hour and a half.

“It’s a good workout,” he said. “We do a lot of swimming drills. We do very little running. We do more strengthening drills.”

These athletes are getting ready for the Try the Tri event June 12 at Fit-N-Wise. The event is geared toward beginning triathletes. It is limited to 100 athletes.

Runners tackle Decatur 5K

Nearly 80 runners turned out to battle the hills in the Decatur 5K sponsored by the Wise County Veterans Group May 8.

Zane Park won the race, running an 18:29. Jeanette Webster at 25:38 was the first woman across the finish line.

“It was an absolutely gorgeous day,” said Drue Bruton of the veterans group.

Twenty-two active Marines took part in the run.

“That was a blessing,” Bruton said. “They were a neat group to have there.”

Changes for White Rock

Local runners about to start their training for the Dallas White Rock Marathon in December need to note there are big changes coming to this event.

The marathon is moving venues from the American Airlines Center to Fair Park. The race is also moving up a week to December 5.

Registration will open June 1. The marathon is capped at 7,000 and half-marathon 10,000.

The marathon was founded by Alvord resident Tal Morrison.

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